Modern computer systems have been continuously increasing demands for data. These increasing data demands are becoming ever more present in computer systems used in motor vehicles. To transfer data in motor vehicle computer systems, the motor vehicle industry has typically relied on Controller Area Network (CAN) bus cables. Unfortunately, CAN bus cables are not capable of handling the data demands of the high bandwidth, low latency applications (e.g., autonomous driving) required by modern and upcoming motor vehicle computer systems.
As such, Ethernet, the universal networking standard for computer systems used in buildings, will become the new networking protocol for the motor vehicle industry. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 Ethernet Group and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) have developed or are developing standards for high-speed motor vehicle networks (including the physical layer). According to these standards, automotive Ethernet networks will be interconnected by high performance single twisted pair cables. Unfortunately, the materials used in previously known Ethernet cables are not capable of withstanding the environmental conditions within a motor vehicle while still allowing the Ethernet cable to provide sufficient data throughput so as to meet the data demands of modern and future motor vehicle computer systems.
Thus, what is needed are new types of communications cables (such as Ethernet cables) capable of being used in motor vehicles while still meeting the high data demands of modern and future motor vehicle computer systems.